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from the job-of-the-future-solar-panel-washer dept.
Most new wind and solar projects will be cheaper than coal, report finds:
Almost two-thirds of wind and solar projects built globally last year will be able to generate cheaper electricity than even the world's cheapest new coal plants, according to a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).
The agency found that the falling cost of new windfarms and solar panels meant 62% of new renewable energy projects could undercut the cost of up to 800 gigawatts (GW) worth of coal plants, or almost enough to supply the UK's electricity needs 10 times over.
Solar power costs fell by 16% last year, according to the report, while the cost of onshore wind dropped 13% and offshore wind by 9%.
In less than a decade the cost of large-scale solar power has fallen by more than 85% while onshore wind has fallen almost 56% and offshore wind has declined by almost 48%. Francesco La Camera, Irena's director general, said the agency's latest research proved the world was "far beyond the tipping point of coal".
He said: "Today renewables are the cheapest source of power. Renewables present countries tied to coal with an economically attractive phase-out agenda that ensures they meet growing energy demand, while saving costs, adding jobs, boosting growth and meeting climate ambition."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 24 2021, @10:36PM (5 children)
Very well said. The real battle is to find cheap grid batteries made from abundant materials. The "gravity battery" seems an ideal solution but it is hard to find enough sites to place a reservoir.
(Score: 4, Informative) by PinkyGigglebrain on Thursday June 24 2021, @11:07PM
Another option for storing off peak excess energy without using batteries is to just push train cars filled with rocks uphill, same principle as pumping the water uphill but is more flexible in terms of where it can be set up. Sadly I don't have the link to the article I read handy.
Some other non-battery alternatives are flywheels and compressing air into underground salt domes. They all work with varying degrees of efficiency and each could be used in the environment best suited for it. We need to be looking at all of them.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 2) by Pav on Friday June 25 2021, @04:10AM
My country (Australia) is the flattest and driest continent, and yet with hydro alone we could have enough hyrdo storage to handle 100% baseload should we want to. We're converting the Snowwy River Scheme into a hydro reservoir for the most populous parts of the country, and we're experimenting with mine pits (that usually need to have groundwater pumped out of them anyway) and our huge southern ocean cliffs for additional saltwater hydro storage.
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Friday June 25 2021, @02:58PM
The grid based batteries approach implies that you're talking about large plants. When you get to large plants, there are already answers. One of them is to use solar-thermal and store the energy in molten salt until you use it to generate electricity.
The house based solar cells, however, don't work well with many of the large-scale storage mechanisms. They could probably be made to work with a pressurized air storage, but I don't know with what efficiency. Most of the other non-"electric battery" approaches, however, don't scale down well. If you've got a water tower, you could use that, but most places find that impractical.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 2) by ChrisMaple on Saturday June 26 2021, @01:38AM (1 child)
Gravity battery has a specific meaning - the Daniell cell. Please do not use "gravity battery" to refer to devices that raise weights to store energy.
(Score: 2) by fakefuck39 on Monday June 28 2021, @05:33AM
or, you know, you are completely full of crap, incredibly stupid, and will remain forever stupid because you think you know more than people who know more - hence never learning anything.
it does have specific meaning. the one the op described.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_battery [wikipedia.org]